In-vivo imaging methods, such as an in-vivo imaging system which is carried by an ingestible capsule, may be used to image body lumens within a patient. The imaging system may capture and transmit, for example, images of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to an external recording device, while the capsule passes through the GI lumen. Such an in-vivo imaging system provides a platform from which moving image streams or still images of a body lumen may be viewed. Large numbers of images, for example 100,000 to 300,000 images, may be collected for, viewing during the imaging procedure. The images may be combined in sequence, and an image stream or movie of, for example, 30-120 minutes in length, may be presented to a user.
A user, e.g. a physician or health care professional, may view a complete image stream, e.g., the original stream of images captured by the in-vivo device, or a slightly reduced stream of images (e.g. in which similar images are merged or removed), and substantially all images which differ from each other are presented. When viewing such streams, the user may typically use a relatively fast display rate of, for example, 20-30 frames per second.
A user may want to reduce viewing time of the image stream. Known methods for reducing a viewing time exist. For example, a summary movie of the entire image stream may be generated, based on editing methods. Editing methods may include, for example, selecting images which follow predetermined criteria. A shortened movie may be created, assisting the physician to reduce viewing time.
However, viewing a summary movie may have certain drawbacks or disadvantages. For example, substantially identical images may contain pathologies. Redundant images may be filtered from the summary movie, and in some cases only one or a few representative image frames which contain the pathology may be presented in the summary movie.
It would be desirable to provide a user, for example a physician, a different view or display of images, which on one hand allows for a closer inspection of images or portions of images, and on the other hand does not increase the viewing time, at least not significantly.